Business

Basics of Streaming breaks down the technical and economic tradeoffs behind delivering 4K, including encoding, HDR, bandwidth, device compatibility, and CDN costs. For streaming services, the real calculation is whether 4K’s viewer and subscription value justifies the added complexity, especially…

From the Archives revisits AOL’s push to dominate digital video through AOL On, syndication, and Adap.tv, which helped the company become the No. 1 U.S. video ad property by impressions in 2013 without building a dominant consumer viewing destination. AOL…

Meta's agreed to an approximately $18 billion settlement that would impose enforceable limits on how Facebook and Instagram engage users under 18, including default two-hour daily caps, overnight restrictions, notification limits, expanded age assurance and stronger parental controls. The deal…

YouTube’s fighting a UK proposal that could require platforms to give public-service broadcasters and trusted news organizations greater prominence, potentially limiting the algorithmic control that drives discovery and monetization. As YouTube becomes a bigger part of television distribution, the fight…

Skip argues streaming services shouldn't chase daily usage unless extra sessions improve retention, ad revenue, or willingness to pay. The better metric is how long a service can go between meaningful moments of value before churn risk rises.

YouTube’s expanding Stations beyond music to creator programming, media channels and podcasts, turning existing catalogs into continuous, always-on streams with live chat. The format gives YouTube a FAST-like channel business built on content it already hosts, creating more lean-back viewing…

Netflix is considering distributing services like Peacock and Fox One inside its app, potentially turning its roughly 330 million subscription households into a storefront for the broader streaming market. The model could let Netflix monetize discovery, billing, and customer acquisition…

Disney is raising ESPN Unlimited from $29.99 to $31.99 per month on September 17 while keeping the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle at $35.99, leaving just a $4 gap between standalone ESPN and the broader bundle. The pricing makes standalone…

Netflix has turned YouTube creator programming into a competitive licensing market by paying established creators to bring proven shows to its platform. YouTube’s responding with financing, brand opportunities, and preferential support to keep that programming exclusive, forcing it to pay…

Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon are widening the gap between ad-supported and ad-free pricing to monetize subscribers differently based on willingness to pay. Cheaper ad tiers help preserve reach and reduce churn, while higher ad-free prices capture more subscription revenue from…